Clasp.



W. T. BLASDELL CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1909.

957,488., Patented May 10, 1910.

ff 0% J9] fifcudefj/ X? v 62% QM cwia ea WILLIAM T. BLASDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19, 1909.

Patented May f0, 1916.

Serial No. 508,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLiAM T. BLASDELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in clasps for use as garters and its object is to provide a clasp of the kind of simple, cheap and economical construction which may be readily and quickly applied or detached, and which may be worn with ease and comfort and without any binding to produce discomfort as in the case of the usual garter.

My invention relates to the combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of a leg showing my improved clasp or supporter as applied to a sock. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my improved clasp. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4: is a perspective view showing the manner of applying my improved clasp. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the clasp in its proper position after application. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on an exaggerated scale on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

My improved clasp comprises essentially three garment engaging members,two, A and A disposed parallel and in engagement with each other, and a loop member B which is adapted, when the clasp is properly applied, to engage the folds of the garment and hold them down against the parallel garment engaging members A, A These members are preferably made of spring steel wire so that they will maintain a normal position of spring contact with each other, and so that they will not lose their elasticity by reason of separation of the parts when the clasp is applied to the garment. The member B is made in the form of a loop extension of the members A, A adapted to lie above and transverse of the members A, A at its middle, as indicated at b. Said member B thus serves as a spring to hold the ends of the members A, A in engagement with each other. The opposite ends of the members A, A are preferably twisted together and then formed into laterally disposed loops 0 which serve as a handle or means for grasping the clasp when it is applied to the garment. Said members A, A are pref erably curved in the direction of their length as clearly apparent in Fig. 8, so as to conform to the contour of the leg.

The manner of applying the clasp is illustrated in Fig. 4-. The handle a, a is grasped by the thumb and finger-of one hand, while with the thumb and finger of the other hand a fold of the sock or stocking together with the underfolded garment is grasped. C represents the fabric of the stocking or sock and D a portion of the undergarment or drawers. The clasp is pushed down against this fold, the rounded ends of the members A, A engaging the edge of the fold. The clasp is pushed down in this way at an angle to the surface of the leg until the fold is brought into contact with the member B at its center I). The clasp is then brought against the leg, as indicated in dotted lines 'n Fig. 1-, the fingers of the left hand are released from engagement with the fold of the sock and the clasp pushed along the surface of the leg. In this action the fold passes beyond the loop member B and under the same so that the double fold engaged between the members A, A is folded over them by means of the loop member B, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

It will be apparent from this description of the operation of the clasp in applying it to the garment that the action of the loop member B is three-fold, in that it acts as a spring to hold the members A, A in elastic engagement with each other; it acts as aguide to guide the fold of the garments between the members A, A and when the clasp is in final position, it acts as a guard or look in that it holds the folds of the garment on top and at right angles tothe members A, A and, as it were, locks the fold in position to prevent its disengagement from the clasp. The action in this respect is best illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the member B is illustrated in position above the members A, A in contact with the fold of the sock C G with which is interfolded a portion of the undergarment or drawers D D The loop member locks the fold against the members A, A and supplements their action in holding the folds of the sock and drawers together and preventing their separation in the direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. 2, which separation is the normal tendency when the sock or stocking slips down.

The clasp above described is efficient in action to hold up the sock or stocking, while at the same time it is readily applied and as readily detached. It has no parts to pass around the leg and bind the garment against the leg, as it is of that type in which the sock or stocking is attached to the drawers rather than bound to the leg.

WVhile I have shown and the clasp made of steel wire stood that I described herein it is to be under do not limit myself to this nor to the other details of construction herein shown and described except in so far as pointed out in the claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A clasp formed of spring metal, comprising longitudinally disposed, parallel, engaging members joined together at one end, and a combined guard, guide and locking member arranged transverse of said first named members and above the bodies thereof, said last named member being in the form of a loop extension of the other ends of said first named members.

2. A clasp made of spring metal, com- I r I prising longitudinally disposed, parallel engaging members joined together at one end, a handle formed at the joined ends of said parallel members, and a combined guard, lock and guide member arranged transverse of said first named members and above the same, said lastnamed member being in the form of a loop extension of the other ends of said first named members.

3. A clasp made of ing longitudinally disposed, parallel engaging members joined together at one end, a handle formed at the joined ends of the engaging members, and a combined guide and lock member arranged transverse of said first named members and adapted to engage the body thereof, said last named member being in the form of a spring made integral with the other ends of said first named members.

In testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of July, A. D. 1909.

WVILLIAM T. BLASDELL.

spring metal, compris- 

